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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24819097">Summer Eyes and Taken Names</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sclerophyllous/pseuds/Sclerophyllous'>Sclerophyllous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Late Summer Morning [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Everyone Loves Natsume Takashi, Exorcists!!, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Natori and Natsume are BROTHERS and nothing else, Natsume Takashi's Terrible Childhood, Natsume being wholesome, Rights to the funky paper guys, Those are some neat tags</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:00:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,379</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24819097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sclerophyllous/pseuds/Sclerophyllous</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Natsume Takashi disappeared from his foster home at the age of eight, and after a few months, his name is never mentioned in the family again.</p><p>Many years later, actor-exorcist extraordinaire Natori Shuuichi accidentally bites off more than he can chew when he stumbles upon a mysterious boy residing in a forest called Yatsuhara</p><p>An AU in which Natsume was spirited away by youkai! There's the Dog's Circle being the Dog's Circle, and some Natsume being Natsume. </p><p>He also got the Book of Friends earlier, which I probably should've mentioned.</p><p>I don't know what a plot is please help.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Natori Shuuichi &amp; Natsume Takashi, Natsume Takashi &amp; Youkai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Late Summer Morning [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>274</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I actually did it. Heads up - I have no idea how anything on Ao3 works, so I really hope this turns out well.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fun times for the spirit child.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The January air was frigid, and the streets were frosted, but it hardly mattered to Takashi as he ran. His heartbeat raced with his feet, and his head throbbed with every step. He tightened his grip around the flat, green object bundled in his arms. He thought he might had heard someone calling his name earlier, but he was too afraid to return now. The man back at the house was a distant uncle of some sort, and Takashi knew he would have been very kind to him, if not for the boy's constant blunders and freakishness. He also knew that his uncle was currently drunk, which meant he would smell of alcohol and yell more. At least this man did not hit him like some did before. The yelling, coupled with the hungry eyes of a creature in the corner of his room, lead him to leave, if only temporarily. He would make sure to return before morning, while his guardian slept.</p><p>Takashi was promptly yanked out of his thoughts as a low-hanging branch came into contact with his face. He let out a sharp yelp, stumbling backwards before catching himself. He searched his surroundings with his catlike eyes, growing more and more nervous as no familiar landmarks came to his attention. He had found himself somewhere in a forest. His uncle had talked about it once, grumbling about it being haunted and that he should not wander there. Yatsu- something, was it? Amongst the jagged, dimly moonlit trees, the boy could very well believe his words. His fingers ran over the rough cover of the book as he tried to calm himself down. A rustle and a snap, then low muttering filled the eerie silence. </p><p>"Who is that?"</p><p>"A child of man?"</p><p>"I thought they were bigger."</p><p>Voices whispered near him, some louder than others. Takashi spotted a shadow moving from the corner of his eye, and he turned to face whoever hid there.</p><p>"E-excuse me? Ghosts? Could you please tell me where I am?"</p><p>As soon as he started to speak, the voices silenced, and then arose in a frenzy, causing him to flinch.</p><p>"The child of man hears us!"</p><p>"It hears us! It hears us!"</p><p>Takashi began to hear noises of moving limbs accompanied by the shaking of bushes and trees. Was he going to be chased again? He knew he had long run out of energy to flee. He crouched down, making himself as small as possible, and waited for the inevitable attacks to begin. He had always survived by escaping his pursuers, but it seemed impossible now. </p><p>"Wait!"</p><p>A brief cease of activity as a high-pitched voice starts to talk.</p><p>"What is that the child of man holds?"</p><p>The soft inquiry broke a dam of curiosity. One ghost made a loud noise of intrigue, before being muffled by their comrade with a short scolding. A small creature approached the area where he was curled up, feet making a strange flapping noise against the ground, and gasped.</p><p>"Is that the Book of Friends?"</p><p>Two more pairs of footsteps came closer, and he raised his head in confusion, blinking to grow accustomed to the new darkness brought about by the shapes blocking his source of light. </p><p>The first figure he took notice of was the one to speak, a green kappa he had poured water on earlier that week, which had elicited mockery from the other children walking to school. He had not minded helping, though, as the duck-frog thing had thanked him profusely afterwards. Nice ghosts were rare to him, but they were always a welcome change to the usual mean ones. </p><p>It gasped again once recognition dawned on it, and jabbed a webbed finger in his direction while facing the other two. </p><p>"This is the one that smells like Natsume-sama!"</p><p>"<em>The</em> Natsume-sama?"</p><p>Takashi furrowed his brow slightly, wondering how these creatures knew of him, let alone respected him. </p><p>"Who... Who told you my name?"</p><p>This time, a different voice spoke, and it was so loud that he was momentarily caught off-guard.</p><p>"It is her! It is her!"</p><p>The owner of the voice, who greatly resembled an ox of some sort, pulled his one-eyed friend closer to peer down at the boy.</p><p>"Oh my... Reiko really did grow weaker with age..."</p><p>The one-eyed ghost squinted disapprovingly, getting very close to his face. </p><p>"Reiko?"</p><p>The three ghosts waited for him to continue, faces a mix of silent questions and concern.</p><p>"Reiko... That was my grandmother. She's, um, gone. Sorry."</p><p>He added the last word just loud enough for them to hear, and flicked his green eyes at them nervously, watching for any signs of anger.</p><p>The information seemed to process slowly, heaviness seeping into the atmosphere like a leaking tap. </p><p>"So she really is gone, huh?" </p><p>He nodded, biting his lip.</p><p>"But you do have the Book of Friends! You're also very small, though. Not like Reiko."</p><p>The one-eyed ghost continued to mumble, contemplating Takashi.</p><p>He took this as an opportunity to raise a question to the peculiar trio.</p><p>"If I may ask, what exactly is the Book of Friends?"</p><p>• </p><p>Unbeknownst to Takashi, hours had passed since he had stepped into the forest and met the three youkai. They had taught him a great deal about the world they live in, and informed him of the curious case of the little green book in his hands. Soon, much too soon, the early traces of dawn emerged. He knew that he would have to leave, lest he cause trouble for his uncle. </p><p>"I am very sorry, but I need to go back home now."</p><p>The youkai simultaneously frowned in disappointment.</p><p>"Do you have to?"</p><p>"You could always stay with us!"</p><p>"Stay! Stay!"</p><p>He gave them a small smile, one that felt genuine to him.</p><p>"I wish I could, but my uncle would be upset."</p><p>Kappa cocked his head at this, while the Chuukyuu simply nodded in fake understanding. Of course, Youkai do not have much of a concept of family. </p><p>"If he's gonna be upset with you about that, why not just stay here and don't go back there? He might not even notice!"</p><p>Takashi's Eyes widened at that, and he thought of all the times he had arrived at the house late and dishevelled, just to be brushed off. Would he really not notice? Maybe if he stayed with the youkai in the forest, none of his relatives would need to put up with a burden like him. </p><p>"What about the bad youkai? They always attack me."</p><p>"With the Book of Friends, you could protect yourself. Reiko was known to have contracts with even some minor gods!"</p><p>Although he worried about his uncle, the offer grew more and more enticing as he thought about it. Would his guardians not be grateful to not have to deal with someone like him? </p><p>If he left, other kids would not scream about him being a liar. </p><p>If he left, he would be protected from the mean youkai at the house. </p><p>If he left, he could be happy.</p><p>"I'll... Stay a little longer."</p><p>•</p><p>Natsume Takashi, aged 8, was reported missing a week after his initial disappearance by his distant relative and guardian at the time. He was last sighted by one Fujiwara Touko as he was running away from his foster home. She had arrived to ask him for consent to move into she and her husband's home, but could not catch his attention in time  No further information has been garnered regarding his case, and it has gone unsolved for close to a decade, with no signs of ever being solved.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. First Encounter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Natori time.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow, two chapters at once! I really needed to start writing Natori because the paper man is fun.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Now, Natori Shuuichi had come across many things in his near 7 years of being an exorcist. Unaggressive ayakashi, cruel humans (notably the Matobas), and anything else in between. The one thing he had expected the least sat a few steps ahead of him, in the shape of a strange boy laughing amongst a crowd of youkai.</p><p>It was supposed to be a simple mission, like most; speak with the employer, get rid of the disturbances, and leave. He had received reports from a priest living near a forest, whose son was sensitive to youkai presences and fell sick easily. He said that he had tried to purify the area for his son's sake, to no avail, and had searched for the closest exorcist for assistance. A very good decision, on his part. </p><p>As he neared the temple, he sent out his shiki to scout the forest. He glanced at Hiiragi as she left with the others, reminding himself to be glad he spared her. She was a fantastic help during missions, and revealed herself to be adept at handling weapons.</p><p>The priest, Tanuma, thanked him for his time, and spoke to him further about his son, Kaname. Shuuichi half-listened, nodding along while waiting for any of the youkai loyal to him to return. He was never too good at real conversations, anyway. </p><p>"Master, I have found a large gathering of youkai in the forest north of here."</p><p>He gave a small, quick nod towards his shiki, before utilising the brief silence to speak. </p><p>"I will search the forest for the youkai now. Hastening this exorcism would be best for your son. Excuse me."</p><p>With that, he rose from the table, leaving a full cup of tea in his wake. </p><p>•</p><p>The forest was vast, but if the group was as large as Sasago said it was, he would sense them soon enough. For safety measures, he summoned a handful of his shikigami to fly ahead.</p><p>What he did not expect, however, was for the paper dolls' presences to crumble away the moment they passed the thicket ahead of him.</p><p>He ran through the bushes, preparing himself for a larger threat than he had anticipated, but stopped short when his red eyes focused on the sight before him.</p><p>•</p><p>The boy surrounded by youkai of various sizes was young, perhaps around 15, and had silver hair which seemed to give off an ethereal glow as it reflected light from the canopy above. He wore an ill-fitting grey jacket, and his expression was calm, if not happy, as if him amongst the spirits was the most normal thing in the world.</p><p>Curled around him was an enormous white canine, whose bushy tail seemed to stretch past Shuuichi's line of sight, and a few spaces away lay a giant black horse creature, with pale hair draped over his head. Small sprites crawled over them, chittering away, and a multitude of others talked nearby. A yellow tatsumi lay its head in the boy's lap, nuzzling him affectionately.</p><p>Safe to say, it was the most bizarre sight he had ever been subjected to witness. </p><p>Some of them were strong, that much he could deduce from the aura surrounding the patch of land. He knew his shiki felt it too, as they swiftly jumped in front of him, hands on their weapons.</p><p>The best decision in this scenario would have been to watch from a distance and wait for a good opportunity to strike (or run, as any sane person would), but he knew too well that the youkai could at least sense him by now, so he made himself known and hoped he would make it out alive.</p><p>He cleared his throat, keeping his hands in the pockets which held the rest of his shikigami.</p><p>"Excuse me."</p><p>Almost all eyes snapped to him at once (some disturbingly already on him from the beginning) and he noticed the boy taking a little longer to respond to the sudden noise than the rest, preoccupied with the potentially dangerous dragon taking up his attention.</p><p>The canine around him watched Shuuichi intently, gums curling back to brandish its sharp fangs. It used a furred paw to pull the boy closer to it, eliciting a startled yelp from him.</p><p>"What do you want, <em>exorcist</em>?"</p><p>The voice was low, with a growl rumbling beneath every word. </p><p>Despite the imminent threats around him, Shuuichi tried to keep his focus on the boy. Despite his narrow frame, he felt an immense power emanating from him. On further observation, his striking green eyes held slit pupils, much like an ayakashi. Was the boy not human? He knew that some youkai liked to take on humanoid forms, but this felt fundamentally different. </p><p>He steeled his nerves, and continued.</p><p>"I have been told that you staying in this area is harmful to a priest's son nearby, so if you do not leave, I will have no choice but to forcefully remove you."</p><p>He felt the horse-youkai narrow its dark eyes at him, along with many others, until a gentle voice spoke up.</p><p>"Are we really hurting somebody? Then we should go back now. Sorry."</p><p>All attention was brought back to the boy, who shrank back slightly under the intense gazes of everyone around him. Despite this, the youkai began to nod in agreement, slowly starting to shuffle deeper into the forest. As the tatsumi stood up, the canine allowed him to clamber up on to its back, before rising to its full height and slinking between the trees.</p><p>Natori could not do much but stare as the group vanished. The times in which his targets actually listened to him were rare to none, let alone targets who could so easily kill him if they wished to. The boy clearly held some authority over the party.</p><p>"Say, Hiiragi."</p><p>His masked companion raises her head in acknowledgement.</p><p>"Was that boy human?"</p><p>She took her time to ponder over the question.</p><p>"Yes. He smelled much like a youkai, but he is human."</p><p>"I see."</p><p>•</p><p>Upon returning to the temple, he noticed a tall, dark-haired boy sitting outside the entrance, presumed to be the son, conversing with the priest. </p><p>"The spirits are gone now."</p><p>That was all he needed to say. As long as the job was complete, the methods used to obtain the goal were not to be questioned. That was a rule he had learnt long ago in the exorcism business. </p><p>"Thank you very much, Natori-san. I don't know how to repay you."</p><p>Shuuichi smiled his award-winning smile, and he could feel Hiiragi rolling her eyes from beneath her mask.</p><p>"No need."</p><p>After all, the one thing he needed the most right now was to learn more about the enigmatic youkai boy in the Yatsuhara forest, and a well-deserved rest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Once again, please let me know what you think! I'm open to any and all critique.</p><p>Let's pretend Madara and Misuzu were introduced into the story.</p><p>Let's also pretend I didn't use Natsume's manga appearance simply because of how fun it is to write.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Of The Forest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Happy Natsume is good Natsume. An interlude before I need to start thinking about plot.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This exorcist was a weird one, not counting the lizard-shaped creature scuttling around on its skin.</p><p>Most that came before it were brash and aggressive when they attacked, not too different from a confident youkai abusing its new power. Funny that a comparison like that could be made, since exorcists prided themselves in sealing and destroying them.</p><p>This one, on the other hand, did not even try to stop them, despite the clearly skilled shiki who were bound to it. Why would those youkai subject themselves to a fate like that? Maybe there was a reason, maybe there was not. It would be impossible to understand all of their motives, so Takashi did not bother to pry. He had never liked contracts, anyway.</p><p>"Oi, Natsume!"</p><p>As he turned his head to face Madara, he noticed that his hair was starting to get rather long. He would have to get Hinoe to cut it soon.</p><p>"The Chuukyuu want to celebrate the end of those annoying priest spells with some sake. You sure you don't want any?"</p><p>Takashi sighed, giving the white youkai a soft smile. Although he had grown used to the pungent scent of alcohol around him, he would not dare to indulge in it himself.</p><p>"Sorry, Sensei. You know I'm not the biggest fan of it."</p><p>His friends in the vicinity all gave him the same bewildered look they had given him every time the topic of sake came up.</p><p>Madara simply huffed, blowing hot air at him and ruffling his hair.</p><p>"Suit yourself. You know what you're missing out on."</p><p>A small cloud erupted from where he stood, and in the majestic canine's place stood a strangely round bakeneko. He used his stubby legs to run up to the other youkai sitting in a circle, cursing them out the entire time. </p><p>Laughter bubbled from the boy as he watched his friends' antics, until he felt a small tug on the hem of his shirt.</p><p>"Excuse me, Natsume-sama. May I have my name back?"</p><p>Takashi looked towards Madara, making sure his self-appointed protector was busy getting drunk, before nodding and leading the tanuki-like youkai to a nearby tree. He would not be happy once he finds out his charge's powerful book was once again becoming thinner.</p><p>He ran through the process, allowing the brief memory of his grandmother to flood into him before stabilising himself from the sudden wave of exhaustion. He never ended up growing used to the sensation of returning a name.</p><p>"Oh, thank you very much, Natsume-sama! I am not as powerful as most, but I will help you with anything you ask of me!"</p><p>He had had conversations much like this one many times before, and turned down any favours granted to him until the youkai left, momentarily tripping on its silk clothes before chattering with its friends happily.</p><p>"You did not just do what I think you did."</p><p>Takashi startled at the voice directly behind him, flushing and grinning sheepishly as Madara frowned at him.</p><p>"Honestly, we keep telling you that it's such a waste to return all the names, but you do it anyway."</p><p>A puff of white smoke came into view, and a slender arm was draped around his shoulder. Hinoe ran her other hand through his silver hair, bundling the ends between her fingers and inspecting it with disapproval.</p><p>"You really should let it grow longer. Why do you even bother asking me to cut it?"</p><p>He swatted her away half-heartedly. The violet-haired youkai seemed to enjoy taking any opportunities to make him look more like Reiko. </p><p>"I just like it shorter. Could you help later?"</p><p>Hinoe sighed in disappointment, then eyed him with a wry smile.</p><p>"You were much cuter before. Never having your own opinion and stammering about everything. Where did this <em>attitude</em> come from?"</p><p>Takashi sputtered, blush returning to his pale face with more intensity. He elected to busy himself with the flowers growing around him while his friends laughed. Could they not find anything better to talk about? </p><p>Misuzu rose from where he had lain moments before, golden earrings chiming together and sparkling in the late afternoon sun.</p><p>"Speaking of, how about we try the shadow tag game again? There are still a few more hours to dusk."</p><p>The boy looked towards his shadow. He supposed it was long enough for a fair game. An idea suddenly came to mind, and he suppressed a snicker.</p><p>"Sure, but don't let Madara transform back until he wins."</p><p>The cat looked up immediately, glaring daggers at him.</p><p>"Oh, <em>you're on</em>."</p><p>Leaping away with a yell as the calico vessel charged directly at him, Takashi ran not from demons, but from friends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The random little youkai of this story is a kinutanuki! I wonder what Reiko did to this one to get its name.</p><p>This is mostly self-indulgent, with a hefty amount of Hinoe being a Reiko fangirl. Hope you enjoy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Second Encounter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>These twos' habit of randomly running into each other isn't bound to one universe.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A mission like this was to breeze over, then he would be able to return to the near barren detective pinboard he had set up in his mind. Shuuichi would never stoop so low as to require the use of something <em>physical</em> to place his findings. Everything he was searching for had circulated around one particular boy, one who not only saw youkai, but befriended them. What could he have been thinking? </p><p>It was from experience that the exorcist had learnt about the dangers of the otherworldly creatures. Multiple very bad experiences, and some that could be tolerated. None had never left him so bewildered as the one three days ago. </p><p>He had researched a reasonable amount after both of his jobs were completed for the day. Although most sources turned up empty, some held hope, despite the slim chances that they were related to his incident at all. Flashes of silver in treetops while visiting shrines, a curious entity leading people out of forests at night, and sometimes even a boy being sighted, if briefly, running past. He seemed to have garnered a reputation for being some kind of forest spirit amongst theorists online. Fascinating.</p><p>"Master, please wake up."</p><p>Shuuichi shot upright in his chair, blinking sleep out of his eyes and realising that he had once again dozed off in front of his computer. It would be awful if that became a habit. Shiki could be such a help sometimes.</p><p>"Thank you, Urihime." </p><p>The youkai preened herself on the praise from her master, and glided away towards the other two with a small grin. </p><p>The exorcist walked back to his sofa, collapsing on to the reasonably soft material. He had only scheduled the exorcism for the afternoon, so he would bother with any aches from the uncomfortable position in the morning. </p><p>•</p><p>Shuuichi was awoken by the annoying alarm clock called <em>daylight</em> beaming down on him through half-open curtains that seemed to be <em>suspiciously</em> angled to let it shine directly at his face. What was also suspicious was the lack of Hiiragi amongst the two shiki in the corner of the room as he looked towards them. He grumbled a little as he arose, noticing that an innocent-looking Hiiragi had quickly nestled herself between the other two youkai as he pulled the curtains further apart.</p><p>He checked the time, nodding to himself. Having five or so hours to himself before he would need to start doing anything productive, the exorcist decided to pick up a coffee. He needed some time away from those never-ending message boards, after all.</p><p>•</p><p>The time passed slowly, but before Shuuichi knew it, he needed to leave for his appointed job. He gathered the items necessary for sealing, and walked towards the train station, cheerfully taking notice of a particularly handsome man with a lizard youkai on his face in a poster as he passed by.</p><p>According to the information he was given, the water god who protected a spring on Mt. Yashiro was beginning to listen out for "friends", and ended up hearing the voices of demons sealed away in a well. All he needed to do was to catch it somewhere, and perhaps reseal the lid of the well for good measure.</p><p>The god had taken the form of a human boy, bidding its false companions who knew none the wiser farewell and walking "home", but Shuuichi knew it was the one as soon as it noticed him, eyes widening in fear. It made a mad dash into the abandoned house next to it as he approached. Perfect.</p><p>He began his pursuit of the youkai. As always, he had prepared a multitude of traps around the run-down building, and the god as running straight towards one of them. Perhaps it believed the box to be an adequate place to hide, ignorant of the seal placed on it. Powerful, but still with the mind of a child.</p><p>"Kai! Watch out!"</p><p>Just as it was about to jump into it, though, a silver-topped figure flashed past from the open window of the room, grabbing the god in its arms and landing on the cracked floor with a soft thud.</p><p>Shuuichi had heard that voice before, but had dreaded it at this moment. </p><p>Crouched protectively over the exorcist's target, inhuman emerald eyes glaring directly at him, was the boy from the forest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Get yourself a shiki that would intentionally blind you with the morning sun instead of shake you awake.</p><p>Kai!! Him!!! Love myself some good ol' Kai.</p><p>I have discovered what emphasis HTMLs are, and am now abusing my newly found power.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Shallow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's not my fault Kai is such an amazing child-but-actually-not-a-child.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Very sorry for the wait!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Natsume!"</p><p>The child god, (Kai, was it?) called out to the boy. So they knew each other, then? Seeing the current situation, it would not have been too hard to believe that the youkai was another of his followers. Did he hold so much power that he could command such a strong being? A god?</p><p>The once soft expression on said Natsume's pale face was hardened as he glared at Shuuichi.</p><p>"You again."</p><p>So he remembered their little run-in as well.</p><p>"Me again."</p><p>It seemed he was not amused by this, his eyes narrowing a little more. The exorcist nearly felt uncomfortable under the sharp gaze. Would an ofuda work to distract him? He had no means to figure out how much the boy already knew of his techniques. He had a job to do here, but he could not complete it if those stick-like arms continued to wrap themselves around the youkai he was meant to be sealing. He clearly could not attack him, either. Exorcists may have few boundaries, but hurting a child was crossing a line.</p><p>Assessing his options, he summoned his shiki, just in case of anything extreme. Did Natsume just stop glaring at him? He was instead wistfully turning his attention to Shuuichi's three servants. What could the youkai have possibly done to him to exhibit such a reaction? </p><p>"Natsume, let's go. Quickly!"</p><p>The god was scrambling out of Natsume's grasp, pulling him by the hand towards the broken window adjacent. They could not possibly be planning to-</p><p>Oh, they definitely were.</p><p>And Shuuichi had just grabbed on to his other arm to stop him.</p><p>He felt a flinch from beneath his fingers, and took far too long to react before a blast of energy came barreling towards him, sending both him and his captive flying across the room.</p><p>•</p><p>A yell, and then a groan, then more yelling. The exorcist blinked the stars out of his vision to see his shiki hovering around him concernedly. He accepted their help in order to stand up, and looked down to see the god crouched over a thin body. Oh god, was he dead? He would have had a heart attack right there and then if he had been the indirect cause of a murder. Luckily, for both him and the boy's sake, he was breathing. Shuuichi was aware of the fact that he had taken the brunt of the impact, though, so it was either that he had developed one hell of a thick skull over the years, or that this Natsume boy was just <em>that</em> fragile to begin with. </p><p>The god, who had most likely caused the blast, was hysterical, crying into the unconscious teenager's shoulder and frantically mumbling apologies. What was <em>up</em> with everything surrounding him? </p><p>The exorcist had long prided himself in his works of sealing away ayakashi, but currently, he knew doing anything negative to his target would most likely result in catastrophic results. He very well could not leave the pair in the crumbling old building, either, since none of the youkai from the day before could be sensed anywhere nearby. </p><p>He stepped towards them, kneeling down to check the boy for injuries. The god, while obviously disapproving of his actions, allowed him to get closer. It was a water deity, after all, not a healing one.</p><p>After deeming that there was nothing <em>too</em> bad to take care of, he stood up once more, tentatively thinking of what to do. </p><p>"Do... Do you know where the other youkai are?"</p><p>The god looked up, tear-stained face wrinkling up as it aggressively shook its head.</p><p>Shuuichi would put aside his job for now, if it meant the boy would not gain any more damage by being left in such an environment.</p><p>"I can bring him to my house, just until he recovers."</p><p>No immediate refusals of the offer. Good.</p><p>"I-I'm coming too."</p><p>At first, he scoffed at the idea of letting an ayakashi into his apartment, but on second thought, it would keep the god away from the sealed well for just a little longer. That did not mean he would not try his darnedest to trap it while it was there.</p><p>It seemed to catch on to his thought process, as a layer of water began to slowly flow around its body from an unseen source below them, turning into a barely noticeable barrier between him and the two other humanoids. A part of the water split away to try and lift Natsume, but it did not get very far before ungracefully splattering on the floor. The god pointedly refused to make eye contact with him as the shield around the boy shimmered away, allowing Shuuichi to carry him. </p><p>He was surprisingly light, much lighter than the many individuals he was required to lift in his time as an actor, and he tried his best to ignore the bony limbs jabbing at him from various angles. At least he did not look malnourished. </p><p>•</p><p>As he walked into his condominium's lift lobby, brushing off any concerned questions about the teenager in his arms and the small schoolboy in tow as exceptionally tired cousins, he wondered how much his fame let him get away with. It was not every day Natori Shuuichi himself brought two children home with him, after all. He hoped the rumours would take time to accumulate; then he would at least have a chance to make up a convincing excuse.</p><p>The god had looked in awe at the elevator buttons, its shield opening slightly to let it repeatedly press the number Shuuichi had before. It quickly redrew its hand as Urihime approached, the two proceeding to have a silent face-off as they glared each other down. </p><p>Luckily for him, the resounding "ding" that quickly arrived meant he could escape the unbearably tense atmosphere. </p><p>He lay the boy on to his sofa, assigning Hiiragi the task of watching the newcomers to his house. As the god seemed to be determined to stay by the boy's side, he decided to use the time to himself for the preparation of his sealing tools to scatter around the house. His shiki would be sure to alert him when his mysterious new guest woke up, so there would probably be nothing to worry about when he returned to the living, he hoped.</p><p>He really hoped.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope the strange decisions characters come up with seem realistic enough. It's all for the sake of my nonexistent plot.</p><p>An ofuda is those paper slips with writing on them that Natori seems to have an infinite supply of.</p><p>In the next chapter, Natsume and Kai are going to interact more. I promise.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Depth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Them! The boys! And Natori's there too.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, you.</p><p>Yes, you.</p><p>Since replying to every comment leads to repetition, I'm just going to say it in the notes.</p><p>I love you for taking time out of your 24 hours to read, comment, or leave kudos on my work. I really appreciate the support. Thank you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Takashi awoke, the first thing he felt was a soft fabric shifting underneath him, and, of course, the heavy weight sitting on his stomach. For a moment he thought of Madara, but realised it was too heavy to be the pigcat and too light to be his true form.</p><p>"Kai..."</p><p>Kai immediately jumped up (still on him, he might add), face brightening into a smile.</p><p>"Natsume! You're awake!"</p><p>"Kai... I can't breathe..."</p><p>His friend looked down at where he was standing, quickly crawling off of him and to a small table at his side with an apologetic grin.</p><p>"Natsume! Natsume! You've gotta see this."</p><p>The boy slid to the edge of the object he was laid on, rubbing his eyes and taking notice of his unfamiliar surroundings. It looked like the inside of a house, but strangely laid out, and a cold, smooth surface came into contact with his feet, making him recoil. The masked youkai standing stock-still in the corner of the room did little to reassure him of anything.</p><p>"Kai... Where are we?"</p><p>The god inhaled, then broke into a story of the prior events, voice darkening every time the exorcist was mentioned.</p><p>"And then it brought us <em>super</em> high up! The flying box was full of these squares that you press to command it! I didn't sense any ayakashi behind it, though. Humans come up with the strangest things."</p><p>Takashi was intrigued by the scenery depicted, but certain details disturbed him.</p><p>"Do you think the exorcist's going to hurt us, though? He was trying to seal you away..."</p><p>Kai puffed out his chest confidently.</p><p>"I'm sure together we could totally beat it up! Plus,"</p><p>He leaned in closer, glancing at the youkai before sharply whispering.</p><p>"It doesn't know about the book."</p><p>He guessed that was a valid point to make.</p><p>"Where is he, anyway?"</p><p>"Went into that room over there a while ago. Hasn't come out yet."</p><p>Kai jabbed backwards with his thumb, and he noticed the faint shuffling of paper through a closed door. The fact was rather disconcerting, as memories of the exorcist using shikigami as weapons were still fresh in his mind.</p><p>"Naaatsume, back to what I was talking about before, <em>look</em> at this stuff!"</p><p>The boy turned his green eyes rightward to where he pointed, landing on a flat, black object standing vertically near the wall. He tried to file through his memories for anything familiar about it, but came up blank.</p><p>It looked to be some kind of glass, framed in an unknown material. He began to muse.</p><p>"Did you check whether there's anything behind it?"</p><p>After a bit of skimming over the back of the flat thing, Kai yelped, and a single click rang through the sparsely furnished abode. The glass lit up into an array of rapidly moving black and white, and promptly began emitting a piercing hiss.</p><p>Both boys scrambled backwards, falling on to each other in a heap at the edge of the while making various noises of startlement. The hissing persisted, forcing Kai to cover his sensitive ears while Takashi frantically tried to stand up.</p><p>The door containing the exorcist slammed open, revealing a dishevelled version of the human he had seen before surrounded by fluttering pieces of paper.</p><p>A moment's hesitation to process the situation, and he ran forward to switch the object off. The seconds after the commotion were silent as all parties gathered their wits. The boy was the first to speak.</p><p>"... Sorry."</p><p>The exorcist furrowed his brow at this.</p><p>"It's... It's fine?"</p><p>Kai pulled Takashi up with a grunt, taking a stance in front of him despite the fact that it did not look like it would be very effective. Did he learn it from the local children? </p><p>The god glared in a way which could almost be seen as menacing when the youkai in the corner approached them with even steps, stopping a little away from her contractor. The two muttered a quick exchange of words, cutting themselves off before an argument broke out, and an anticipatory pause followed.</p><p>The exorcist sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he began.</p><p>"Natsume, was it?"</p><p>Takashi startled at his name. Another sigh.</p><p>"I can't just let you walk back into a forest full of youkai like that. Surely you know why..."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>He froze, and a look of bafflement flashed on his face before his neutral look returned.</p><p>"Because they're dangerous. Youkai aren't the same as humans."</p><p>"I know they aren't... But..."</p><p>The boy shrank down.</p><p>"They're better... Than humans..."</p><p>Kai put his hand on Takashi's as a comforting gesture he greatly appreciated. He knew what a difficult subject it was for his friend to speak of. </p><p>The exorcist sat down at the edge of the sofa, red eyes meeting green.</p><p>"I'll refrain from hurting the god if you tell me about yourself. My name is Natori Shuuichi."</p><p>The boy bit his lip and nodded, meeting his gaze with a newfound determination.</p><p>"Natsume Takashi."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the wait! I ran out of ideas halfway through writing this and never got the chance to pick back up. I am determined not to stop at six chapters, though, so you can rest assured that chapter seven will be up once I think of a direction to take the story.</p><p>*Sobbing* </p><p>They don't know what a television is.</p><p>I was originally going to make this one from Natori's perspective, but I got carried away while writing a Kai and Natsume interaction.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Submerged</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Natori learns more, and Natsume isn't very comfortable. Kai is a good friend and I love him very much. The boys are on the job.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The most difficult part of writing these guys is figuring out what their thought processes would be like in situations like this. I'm not nice enough to write things from Natsume's perspective for very long... Hrrngh...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This was a dilemma Shuuichi could not solve with just a few sealing tools.</p><p>The slit-pupilled eyes stared at him in what he thought to be very well-masked fear (Too bad he was already an expert at doing exactly that), unnerving him slightly. Despite them being deemed rumours by most, he was never too sceptical about the existence of hanyou, and the boy could very well be one.</p><p>He watched the water god hold said boy's hand.</p><p>"I, um, the Chuukyuu and Kappa helped me out when I was... Lost, and they brought me back to the others in the forest. I've been living there with them for a while now."</p><p>It seemed being an actor could actually help in exorcist-related situations, because he could tell that there was <em>definitely</em> more to the story. Natsume, however, looked even more terrified than before (A considerable feat), and he knew prying much further would have consequences. It was worrying to think of why he would grow to avoid, hell, maybe even <em>fear</em> humans like he does. He knew enough of bad families to understand a possible reason.</p><p>He decided to take a different approach, instead.</p><p>"My job is to protect humans, but this particular case may also benefit your..."</p><p>He glanced at the god.</p><p>"...Friends."</p><p>Shuuichi had to pick his words carefully if he wanted to persuade the boy into helping him. He reminded the exorcist of a cornered youkai, in many ways. What a sick comparison to have to make to a child.</p><p>"There is a well hidden in the forest with malicious demons sealed inside. They've been trying to persuade youkai into letting them out, but have never succeeded. Then again, they have never managed to contact anybody of power to use before."</p><p>He gestured at the god, stifling a glare of distaste for the boy's sake.</p><p>"Your... Friend, here, is suspected of contacting them to have them be it- his friends. Their freedom would mean catastrophe upon this town, and the forest, too. I was called here to... Rid of... Him"</p><p>Natsume's face twisted into horror within an instant. He stood up from his place on the sofa, the god following suit.</p><p>"E-eliminate? Because of a possibility? You can't do that! Kai wouldn't do that!"</p><p>"Why would I need some stupid demons to be my friends when I already have Natsume? Exorcists don't make sense!"</p><p><em>That's not all, though</em>, Shuuichi's thoughts supplied as he remembered the reports given to him of the water god mixing in with the schoolchildren of the area, pretending to be a normal human. It was clear that it would take the chance of getting new friends when given it.</p><p>The exorcist felt the spiritual pressure of the room increase along with the two's agitation. It was such a waste to leave the boy with the likes of youkai when he had that much potential at his disposal. </p><p>Just then, his racing mind came up with an idea that he might just be able following through with. It may be best to coax Natsume into the world of exorcism step by step, after all. </p><p>He raised a hand to quieten the two down from their mildly panicked tirades.</p><p>"Now, now. I may make an exception, just this once, under one condition"</p><p>The boy and god both stared at him, contemplating whether to move back with distrust or lean closer with curiosity. His glasses glinted in the light.</p><p>"You help me eliminate the demons."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>👀</p><p>A hanyou is a human who inherits youkai features, either from a direct parent or a distant ancestor. I'm just a <em>really</em> big fan of the theory that Reiko had a child with a youkai...</p><p>Also going to mention the fact that Natsume said he was with the Dog's Circle for "A while", since I believe that time tends to run by faster when in the company of youkai.</p><p>I have reread chapters 20-22 so many times to fact-check everything. I'm sorry about the awful schedule I have for posting chapters. I just haven't had the proper motivation for... Two months... :(</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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